StudyDesk Scholarships
About the scholarship
The Vice Chancellor’s Postgraduate International Scholarship is the University of Stirling’s flagship master’s award for international students. It cuts £7,000 off first-year tuition for new, self-funded international students on eligible full-time taught master’s programmes starting in September 2027 or January 2028. Unlike Stirling’s undergraduate scholarship — which is automatic — this one needs a separate scholarship application once you hold a course offer, and awards are allocated from a wait list as funding becomes available.
Two things to get right early: you must be self-funded (any external sponsorship or another scholarship takes you out of the running), and the award is a fee waiver, not cash — it trims £7,000 from your tuition bill and nothing from your living costs.
Eligibility
- Be classed as an international student for tuition-fee purposes.
- Be a new student starting at the university in September 2027 or January 2028.
- Hold a conditional or unconditional offer for an eligible postgraduate taught course — applications without a valid offer are not assessed.
- Be entering a full-time postgraduate degree delivered at the university’s Stirling campus.
- Be self-funded — those receiving external sponsorship or other scholarships are not eligible.
- Not be on an online degree, an MRes or an MPhil.
- Not be progressing from an INTO pre-master’s course (INTO progression scholarships may apply instead).
- Be prepared to pay the £1,000 scholarship deposit by the deadline on your scholarship offer letter to secure the award.
- Read the terms and conditions before submitting.
Benefits
- £7,000 tuition-fee waiver for the first year of an eligible master’s degree.
- Applied directly against tuition — no cash payment.
- Can be combined with Stirling’s Sports Scholarship only; if you qualify for another Stirling award, the highest-value award is applied instead of stacking.
Documents to prepare
- Completed University of Stirling admission application (the course offer comes first).
- Separate Vice Chancellor’s Scholarship Application 2027-28.
- Degree certificate and academic transcripts.
- Valid passport.
- CV or résumé.
- English-language evidence where required.
How to apply
- Apply for an eligible taught master’s at the University of Stirling and receive a conditional or unconditional offer.
- Submit the separate Vice Chancellor’s Scholarship Application 2027-28 form within the round window for your intake.
- Join the assessment wait list — applications are assessed as funding becomes available, and Stirling aims to notify everyone of the outcome by 15 July.
- If offered the scholarship, pay the £1,000 deposit by the deadline stated in your scholarship offer letter to secure it.
FAQs
No. It is a £7,000 tuition-fee waiver for the first year — living costs, accommodation, visa fees and travel are not covered. It is a fee reduction, not cash.
Yes — unlike Stirling’s automatic undergraduate scholarship, this one needs the separate “Vice Chancellor’s Scholarship Application 2027-28” form after you hold a course offer. Applications without a valid offer are not assessed.
Applications are assessed in rounds: Round 1 runs 1 September–15 December 2026 (decisions by 21 December 2026, deposit by 1 February 2027), with further rounds through 30 October 2027 covering the September 2027 and January 2028 intakes. Confirm the live round dates on stir.ac.uk before applying.
No. It cannot be combined with any other University of Stirling scholarship or award (the Sports Scholarship is the exception); if you qualify for more than one, the highest-value award is applied.
Online degrees, MRes and MPhil programmes are not eligible; students progressing from an INTO pre-master’s course are excluded from this scheme; externally sponsored students are not eligible — you must be self-funded.
Verified 24 Oct 2026: stir.ac.uk/scholarships/general/postgraduate/vice-chancellors-postgraduate-international-scholarship/ (official) — £7,000 tuition-fee waiver, first year of master’s, offer required before assessment, £1,000 deposit to secure, Sept 2027/Jan 2028 intake, international fee status, self-funded only, full-time on-campus, online/MRes/MPhil and INTO pre-master’s excluded, not combinable, separate 2027-28 application form, wait-list assessment, outcomes aimed by 15 July; scholarshipforphd.com/stir-chancellor-scholarship/ + scholarshipunion.com/stirling-vice-chancellor-scholarship-2027/ — five application rounds with submission windows, decision and deposit dates; scholarshiproar.com/university-of-stirling-scholarships/ — corroboration (£7,000, separate application, not fully funded). Round-by-round dates come from secondary sources — confirm on the official page.
